Improvement in processes of fleshing, dressing, and finishing sheep-skins



UN TED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

RICHARD HART, OF GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JAMES GILLESPIE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENTIN PROCESSES 0F FLESHING, DRESSING, AND FINISHING SHEEP-SKINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,902, dated March 16, 1875 application filed September 12, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HART, of Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Process for Fleshing, Dressing, and Finishing Sheep-Skins or any skins adapted to the glove-trade; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the dressing and finishing of what are known to the glovetrade as sheep-skin fleshers or tanned skins, from which the flesh or grain side has been shaved or otherwise removed, to be used for glove-bindings, the skins being left after this operation with a rough unsightly surface on the flesh side.

My invention has for its object to provide for the public, and more especially for those engaged in the manufacture of gloves, a process for dressing and finishing skins in this condition in such manner as to give them a smooth finish and improve their quality, appearance, and durability, causing them to bear a close resemblance to deer-skins, the latter being regarded as the best material. To this end my invention consists substantially in the process which Twill now proceed to describe.

I boil one-half pound of alum in one-half pail of water until the alum is thoroughly dissolved; then mix in a separate vessel one pound of flour and one-half pound of oatmeal with one-half pail of water 5 mix this with the alum-water in a suitable receptacle, and put the sheep-skin fieshers in the compound thus formed. I then pound and stir the skins in the compound for about one-half hour, after which they are taken out, stretched, andthe ground-work and knife-marks removed from the grain side.

The skins are next immersed in the followingcompound and worked as before: One gill of urine, one-half bar of bar-soap, one-half ounce of soda, one-quarter pound of salt, and about two ounces whiting or ocher, all boiled in onehalf pail of water until dissolved, added to one pound of oat-meal and one pound of flour mixed in one-half pail of cold water. The skins are subjected to the, action of this compound a suitable length of time, and are again dried, staked out, and stoned or finished off with emery. This operation finishes the face or grain side which is now ready for coloring or smoking.

This process makes the skins nearly equal in appearance to deer-skins or castors, and occupies only from ten to twelve hours, while the old process requires as many days.

The first part of my process gives the skins as good a finish as by the old method, the second part being employed to heighten the effect and increase the resemblance to deer- Skin.

I do not limit myself to the precise order or quantities named herein, as they may obviously be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

' I claim as my invention- The process of dressing sheep-skins consisting essentially in immersing the skins, first, in a compound of alum-water and flour, oatmeal and water, and, after a suitable period, in a compound of urine, soap, soda, salt and water, and oat-meal, flour and water, the skins being suitably manipulated meanwhile, substantially as described, for the purpose specifled.

RICHARD HART.

Witnesses:

J. B. WHIPPLE, H. A. W001). 

